No, no, no. Not store credit or anything like that. Never that. Just give him a small commendation in this, his time of need.

He has been dignified, even charming since the federal government tagged him with more charges than a teenager's texting bill. He has not, thus far, blamed his criminal ills on racial persecution or partisan inquisition. He has been almost upbeat, on top of his diplomatic game.

But the writing is scrawled all over the wall. This is gonna get ugly.

Frank Matthews, co-director of the Mayor's Office of Citizens Assistance, said Wednesday the strategy for defending the mayor -- not to be confused with the mayor's own defense strategy -- could be dubbed "AAA."

I am flattered to make the A-list, but I fear I am only there as a tool. A suspected tool of my bosses, that is. Or of Martin, or whoever is convenient to the current cause.

Of course Martin would expect to be on such a list. She is, you must have heard by now, Darth Vader in the flesh. I don't know for sure, but I heard somewhere she is really Don Siegelman's father.

Davis? Well, he is the surprise foe of the Langford camp. Just weeks ago, folks around City Hall had hoped Davis might be able to use influence with Harvard mate Barack Obama to make the whole Langford prosecution go away.

But Davis has been stubborn. He has said, more than once, that evidence will dictate who is prosecuted.

Makes sense.

But Matthews called that a slap in the face to Langford, and his attack on Davis was brutal. He questioned Davis' commitment to civil rights and took some shots too cheap for print. The real issue, Matthews said, is that Davis secretly harbors aspirations not to be governor as he claims, but to serve as mayor of Birmingham.

"On the world stage, the mayor of Birmingham supersedes the governor or congress," Matthews said.

If you say so.

Martin would not comment. Davis would not talk about Matthews' strategy, either.

I guess that leaves it up to me. A1. And I'll talk 'til the cows come home.

Do not be surprised by any of this. In public trials, in which supporters of public officials hope to change a few minds before jurors step into a box, the best defense is always good -- if offensive -- offense.

There must be someone to blame. And Matthews' strategy, such as it is, gets a AAA rating:

Blame the messenger.

Blame the prosecutor.

Blame politics. Even when it appears to make no sense.

So get ready. There will be a lot of talk about blame. And that's OK. As long as there is also a lot of talk, and thought, about evidence.

John Archibald's column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Write him at
jarchibald@bhamnews.com.